Commuters and shoppers frequently step over homeless people on sidewalks while bending to pet the person’s dog or cat, revealing greater visible compassion for animals. Many believe animals cannot control their plight while human owners can, creating harsher judgments toward homeless people. Domestic violence, divorce or separation, housing evictions, unemployment, and military service–related PTSD are documented causes of homelessness. Strengthening marriages, housing law reform, and improving employment will not alone end homelessness. Lack of a support network often precipitates homelessness when individuals face crises, and more than half of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, increasing vulnerability to housing instability.
A few years ago, I observed commuters and shoppers stepping over homeless people lying on the sidewalk yet bending down to pet the person's dog or cat. It was disturbing at best, despite my love for animals. Why did people seem to care more for animals than their fellow man? Not surprisingly, my research revealed the pervasive perception, that people believe that the pet can't control their plight on the street, while their owners can.
57% of all women experiencing homelessness said that the primary cause was domestic violence, and 15% of people experiencing homelessness cited divorce or separation as the primary cause, per the Curry International Tuberculosis Center. The National Institutes of Health reported that in Delaware, 21% of homelessness was connected to housing evictions. Add to that, 46% of unsheltered people cited unemployment as the primary reason for being homeless, found the University of Southern California.
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